1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filter of a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a dust collecting filter which can be reused by emptying and washing off the contaminants filled inside and a vacuum cleaner having the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A general conventional vacuum cleaner has the structure in which dusts and all kinds of foreign substances (hereinafter, called “contaminants”) are sucked in from a surface to be cleaned together with air by using the suction force generated on a suction port by a vacuum generating apparatus, and the contaminants entrained in the sucked air is separated by a filter.
The above mentioned filter generally uses a paper filter (paper bag). The paper filter is an expendable which is separated from the vacuum cleaner and disposed together with the contaminants filled inside when the filter is full. Such disposable paper filter is one of the main factors for increasing the maintenance costs of a vacuum cleaner. In addition, such paper filter is unhygienic as it provides environment suitable for harmful bacteria to inhabit and propagate and requires cumbersome replacement of filters.